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Wednesday, August 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

Luke 5:23

Which is easier—to say, Your sins have been forgiven you? Or to say, Arise, and walk?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Jesus, the Christ;   Miracles;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Forgiveness;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Diseases;   Luke, Gospel of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Magnificat;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Divinity of Christ;   Foresight;   Impotence;   Judgment;   Lord's Supper (Ii);   Paralysis;   Perplexity;   Walk (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Miracles;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
King James Version (1611)
Whether is easier to say, Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee: or to say, Rise vp and walke?
King James Version
Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?
English Standard Version
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, ‘Rise and walk'?
New American Standard Bible
"Which is easier, to say: 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?
New Century Version
Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, ‘Stand up and walk'?
Amplified Bible
"Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins have been forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?
Legacy Standard Bible
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,' or to say, ‘Get up and walk'?
Berean Standard Bible
Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk?'
Contemporary English Version
Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk?
Complete Jewish Bible
Which is easier to say? ‘Your sins are forgiven you'? or ‘Get up and walk'?
Darby Translation
which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?
Easy-to-Read Version
The Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. But how can I prove this to you? Maybe you are thinking it was easy for me to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven.' There's no proof that it really happened. But what if I say to the man, ‘Stand up and walk'? Then you will be able to see that I really have this power." So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, stand up! Take your mat and go home!"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Whether is easier to say, Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee, or to say, Rise and walke?
George Lamsa Translation
Which is easier to say, Your sins are forgiven, or just to say, Arise and walk?
Good News Translation
Is it easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, ‘Get up and walk'?
Lexham English Bible
Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, ‘Get up and walk?'
Literal Translation
Which is easier, to say, Your sins have been forgiven you, or to say, Rise up and walk?
American Standard Version
Which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk?
Bible in Basic English
Which is the simpler: to say, You have forgiveness for your sins; or to say, Get up and go?
Hebrew Names Version
Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you;' or to say, 'Arise and walk?'
International Standard Version
Which is easier: to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say 'Get up and walk'?
Etheridge Translation
Which is easier, to say, Forgiven to thee are thy sins; or to say, Arise, walk?
Murdock Translation
Which is the easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee, or to say, Arise and walk?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Whether is easier to say, thy sinnes be forgeuen thee: or to say, ryse vp & walke?
English Revised Version
Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk?
World English Bible
Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you;' or to say, 'Arise and walk?'
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Which is easier? To say, Thy sins are forgiven thee? Or to say, Rise up and walk?
Weymouth's New Testament
Which is easier? --to say, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, `Rise and walk'?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
What is liyter to seie, Synnes ben foryouun to thee, or to seie, Rise vp, and walke?
Update Bible Version
Which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven you; or to say, Arise and walk?
Webster's Bible Translation
Which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Rise and walk?
New English Translation
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, ‘Stand up and walk'?
New King James Version
Which is easier, to say, "Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, "Rise up and walk'?
New Living Translation
Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or ‘Stand up and walk'?
New Life Bible
Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or, ‘Get up and walk'?
New Revised Standard
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, ‘Stand up and walk'?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Which is easier, To say - Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say - Arise and be walking?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Which is easier to say: Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say: Arise and walk?
Revised Standard Version
Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'?
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Whether is easyar to saye thy synnes are forgeve the or to saye: rise and walke?
Young's Literal Translation
which is easier -- to say, Thy sins have been forgiven thee? or to say, Arise, and walk?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whether is easier to saye: Thy synnes are forgeue ye, Or to saye: Aryse, and walke?
Mace New Testament (1729)
which is easier, to say, your sins are forgiven you, or to say, rise up, and walk?
Simplified Cowboy Version
Is it easier for me to say that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk?

Contextual Overview

17And it came to pass, on one of the days, that He was teaching, and there were sitting by Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who were come out of every village of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem, and the power of the LORD was—to heal them. 18And behold, men carrying a man on a bed, who has been struck with palsy, and they were seeking to bring him in, and to place before Him, 19and having not found by what way they may bring him in because of the multitude, having gone up on the housetop, through the tiles they let him down with the little bed, into the midst before Jesus, 20and He having seen their faith, said to him, "Man, your sins have been forgiven you." 21And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this that speaks evil words? Who is able to forgive sins, except God only?" 22And Jesus having known their reasonings, answering, said to them, "What reason you in your hearts? 23Which is easier—to say, Your sins have been forgiven you? Or to say, Arise, and walk?24And that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on the earth to forgive sins—(He said to the one struck with palsy)—I say to you, arise, and having taken up your little bed, be going on to your house." 25And immediately having risen before them, having taken up [that] on which he was lying, he went away to his house, glorifying God, 26and astonishment took all, and they were glorifying God, and were filled with fear, saying, "We saw strange things today."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Matthew 9:5, Mark 2:9

Reciprocal: Ruth 2:11 - and how

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Whether is it easier to say,.... Mark adds, "to the sick of the palsy"; to whom Christ had said that his sins were forgiven him, which had given offence to the Scribes and Pharisees, imagining that he had assumed too much to himself: wherefore he proposes the following case to them, which they thought was most easy for man, or more proper and peculiar to God to say,

thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, rise up and walk? Neither of them could be said by a mere man, with effect, so as that sins would be really remitted on so saying; or that a man sick of a palsy, by such a word speaking, would be able to stand upon his feet and walk; but both of them were equally easy to him, that is truly God; and he that could say the one effectually, could also say the other: or in other words, he that could cure a man of a palsy with a word speaking, ought not to be charged with blasphemy, for taking upon him to forgive sin: our Lord meant, by putting this question, and acting upon it, to prove himself to be God, and to remove the imputation of blasphemy from him;

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Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 9:1-7.

Luke 5:17

On a certain day - The time and place are not particularly mentioned here, but from Matthew 9:1 it seems it was at Capernaum.

Luke 5:19

The tiling - See the notes at Matthew 9:1-7.


 
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